Commercial cleaning services for offices or the like are generally considered a very high labor intensive industry. Consequently, every labor saving device could represent a significant increase of productivity, and a resultant improved profit for anyone in such a business.
One device used to help clean carpets is the "stean cleaner"; using some type of cleaning liquid that is applied to the carpet and a tool that is moved back and forth on the surface and connected to a source of vacuum so as to draw excess liquid out of the carpet. Devices of this type are referred to herein as sppray-vacuum systems. The tool used on carpets has spaced generally flat surfaces that ride flush on the top of the carpet, and that define therebetween a slot open to the carpet and connected to the source of vacuum. The cleaning liquid is frequently sprayed directly onto the carpet, from outside the tool.
While the above-described tool works well on carpets generally, it does not work well for cleaning bare floors, such as exposed tile or cement; and accordingly different tool concepts have been proposed for this. However, they generally have been wanting. Some tools, for example, are effective in moving in one direction only; so that repeated back and forth cleaning passes are needed in order to effectively clean the surface or to draw away the excess liquid. Most systems apply the cleaning liquid in the open atmosphere so that it can end up beyond the areas intended. Some devices apply the liquid by rolling or rubbing it on the surface, so that they are slow or are not effective in reaching and cleaning the bottoms of holes or grooves such as are common in patterned tile or cement blocks, or in grout seams. Some systems or tools are just too bulky to be moved about freely and into hard-to-reach locations, such as against the wall or against or under furniture.
Of concern is the ability to use the spray-vacuum system on a wide range of types of surfaces, with a reasonable number of separate tool pieces, and at a reasonable investment of equipment. If a specialized tool is used, it should be as multi-functional as possible and/or be interchangable with other tools and operated off the same basic spray-vacuum system.
Of particular concern is the ability to clean hard nonabsorbent surfaces, such as composition or ceramic tile, cement, or even glass, of varying degrees of smoothness; and even a surface disposed in a vertical plane where liquid run-off and streaking down the surface normally is a continuing problem. Also, the somewhat porous rough surfaces of cement block normally need extra liquid and deep penetration of the liquid to be effectively cleaned, and this liquid again must be drawn away to avoid messy streaks or the like.
On the whole, known spray-vacuum tools for this purpose: (1) provide poor cleaning, in that much of the dirt and liquid remains on the surface even after being sprayed and vacuumed; (2) are messy with excess liquid spraying beyond the area to be cleaned; and (3) are slower that expected with the consequential reduction in the anticipated productivity.